The “Internet of Things,” or IoT, refers generally to the concept of equipping items with a capability that may or may not normally be associated with such items (e.g., a sensing or actuating capability), and connecting the items to the Internet or other network, so as to leverage the capability for an intended purpose. For example, in household settings, it is possible to equip household items such as appliances, lights, or locks with sensors in order to monitor associated functionalities thereof, and with actuators in order to implement changes in the monitored functionalities (e.g., turn off a light, or lock a door).
Within these and related contexts, there are many types of items that can be equipped in the manner just referenced, using a variety of different techniques. Indeed, it is a feature of the concept to be widely applicable in disparate settings, including settings not typically associated with network connectivity. Consequently, items thus-equipped are often referred to in the most general sense as “things,” resulting in the above-referenced nomenclature of “Internet of Things” (although virtually any network could be used).
As with virtually any network-related system, security is a concern in the IoT. Moreover, the nature of specific implementations of the IoT may raise particular or additional security concerns.